For coffee professionals of a certain age, the name Batdorf & Bronson evokes nostalgia for the times. The café and roastery began life in the slow 1980s in Olympia, Washington. The brand, created by Dick Batdorf and Shannon Bronson, was one of the first specialty coffee brands to expand beyond state lines, opening a branch on Atlanta’s East Side in the mid-1990s (many people may know B&B more as Eastern coffee). coast, actually smoking rooms).
Over time, Batdorf & Bronson moved away from the name, opening cafes under the name earlier Dancing Goatsto which it officially moved in 2022. In the same year, the company was acquired by St. Louis’s Kaldi Coffee Roastersseemingly putting an end to the B&B name for good.
But Batdorf & Bronson is back! Thanks to the division of the company and partial sale to the company Dillanos coffee, the iconic Pacific Northwest has triumphantly returned.
As reported Yahoo Financethe Dancing Goats brand was divided into two geographical parts. Kaldi’s original purchase of Dancing Goats was motivated primarily by a desire to break into the Atlanta market and maintain that part of the business, including the roastery and café. With less interest in PNW locations, Kaldi’s then sold that portion to another longtime Washington specialty roaster, Sumner’s Dillanos Coffee.
After the split, the Dancing Goats facility in Olympia will revert to its original name of Batdorf & Bronson. As part of the acquisition, the Dancing Goats roastery will permanently close as the operation will be housed at Dillanos’ premises. However, Dillanos co-CEO David Morris states that he hopes the remaining locations remain open. According to Yahoo, Kaldi’s planned to close two locations in downtown Olympia, but they intend to remain open under a fresh name; one location is currently being reviewed for viability.
But what’s aged is fresh again. The ’90s are balmy right now, and what could be hotter than the Pacific Northwest during this particular era? So put on your baggy jeans and flannel, grab your favorite Chuck Taylors or Sambas, and head to the fresh Batdorf & Bronson just like your parents used to do.
